Experience is the best teacher

Bert Cohen

by Julie Fanselow

September 26, 2005 | Focus on Study Circles, Vol.16, No.2 | Portsmouth, New Hampshire

 

Bert Cohen poses for a photo with
Portsmouth as the backdrop. Cohen, a
study circle participant, introduced the idea
of sustainability to Portsmouth's master plan.

On Earth Day 2005, Bert Cohen gathered 45 children in the music room at Greenland Elementary in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. “Tell me about your favorite foods,” he said, directing the students to place themselves along an imaginary line according to how healthy the foods are for their bodies. He then asked them to realign themselves according to how healthy the foods are for our planet. “How is it grown? How is it packaged? How does it get to you?” he inquired. Before long, the children were grasping the concept of sustainable living and the impact our choices have for the Earth and its future.

Sustainability is a watchword throughout Portsmouth these days. This new mindset is the direct outgrowth of action taken by Bert Cohen, Skye Maher, and Zelita Morgan, all of whom participated in a round of study circles held by Portsmouth Listens, a partnership between the city, volunteer leaders, and several hundred citizens. The trio worked to introduce the idea of a sustainability framework to Portsmouth’s master plan. “It really shows the power of the study circle process,” says Jim Noucas, Portsmouth Listens co-chair.

Portsmouth’s new master plan features many sustainability measures including recycling, improving energy efficiency in city buildings, reducing water consumption, and boosting the city’s public transit and bicycling infrastructure. Portsmouth also is building a new “green” public library using recycled steel and pollutant-free paints and carpeting.

Sarah James, co-author of The Natural Step for Communities: How Cities and Towns Can Change to Sustainable Practices, recently visited to present a workshop to city department heads and other community leaders, with another workshop planned later for the wider community.

According to Cohen, study circles and Natural Step go hand-in-hand. Cohen says that study circles via Portsmouth Listens, are “unique, powerful, and terrific” since the city commits to listening to what Portsmouth Listens participants have to say. “Study circles are a tool to find out what’s on people’s minds,” he adds. Moreover, the circles developed a network of citizens who are ready to engage in creative dialogue and action plans, no matter what issues arise. Natural Step offers “a framework for sustainability, because it allows people to talk across disciplines,” whether they’re addressing waterfront renovation, worker housing, or a new public library. “The Natural Step framework gives you a compass to help determine which way to go.”

A lifelong educator who has taught in elementary schools and in universities, Cohen says study circles dovetail with his passion for experiential learning. Whether it’s helping grade-school kids navigate a “Healthy Earth Lunch” exercise, or accompanying New Hampshire teachers to Belize each year via a program he founded, Cohen knows experience leads to understanding.

Cohen believes the collaborative nature of study circles can help lead the way from talking about environmental issues to taking action. “Frequently, we have the technological solutions and intellectual information we need to address issues,” he says. “What we need to build is the social capital,” which study circles do by bringing together all kinds of people and giving them a way to talk and work together to solve problems.

Portsmouth's study circle program at a glance:

City and state: Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Population: More than 21,000
Focus of study circles: Visioning, education, and bullying
Number of study circle participants to date: More than 400

Read more in our fall 2005 special issue of Focus